Japan-Germany Summit Meeting
(Summary and Evaluation)
December 10, 2004
On December 9, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi held a meeting with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of the Federal Republic of Germany who was visiting Japan. The summary and evaluation of the meeting are as follows. Please refer to a separate page for the two leaders' Joint Press Statement on the report of the High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change.
1. Summary
(1) Bilateral relations
(a) Prime Minister Koizumi expressed his gratitude for the assistance provided by Germany in response to the Niigata Prefecture Chuetsu Earthquake, and Chancellor Schroeder offered his words of sympathy.
(b) The two leaders agreed to enhance exchanges through the Year of 'Germany in Japan 2005/2006' and Expo 2005 Aichi next year, and to further promote sister-city exchanges between the two countries.
(c) The two leaders also agreed to enhance economic exchanges in the areas of advanced technology, including environmental technology, and to promote academic and youth exchanges. Prime Minister Koizumi expressed his intention to utilize effectively the Japanese-German Centre Berlin and the Japan-Germany Forum for intellectual exchanges.
(2) International situations
(a) United Nations Reforms
Chancellor Schroeder positively evaluated Prime Minister Koizumi's initiative in realizing the Group of Four (G4) meeting on the occasion of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in September. The two leaders shared the position that representatives of African countries should take part in the G4 meetings and that African countries themselves should decide which country should participate. They also agreed on the need to delete the enemy clause of the UN Charter. Chancellor Schroeder noted that the momentum for reforms was now gaining pace and that he aimed to advance reforms before summer. Prime Minister Koizumi responded that they should not let this opportunity pass.
(b) Iraq
With regard to the reconstruction assistance to Iraq, Prime Minister Koizumi positively evaluated the police training program by Germany which is taking place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and further noted that Japan could extend its cooperation in the provision of equipment for the police activities. The two leaders agreed to invite the police officers of the Governorate of Al-Muthanna, where the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF) are dispatched, to join the training program. Chancellor Schroeder then stated that it would be ideal if Japan and Germany could mutually and complementarily promote the reconstruction of Iraq, and noted Germany's debt reduction for Iraq. Prime Minister Koizumi shared his wish to cooperate in the area of cultural heritage preservation as well.
(c) Afghanistan
Prime Minister Koizumi positively evaluated Germany's role in the nation building of Afghanistan and the two leaders agreed to advance their cooperation in the region where the provincial reconstruction team (PRT) of Germany is in activity. (Under this agreement, officials from the Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan will periodically visit Kunduz, a region where the German PRT is active, to coordinate Japan's economic cooperation projects.)
(d) Iran
Prime Minister Koizumi welcomed the adoption of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) resolution owing to the recent efforts by the three countries of the European Union (EU), namely Germany, the United Kingdom and France. He then pointed out the importance for the international community to be united to urge Iran to faithfully implement the resolution. In response, Chancellor Schroeder indicated his desire to see the recent agreement be an enduring one.
(e) Surging oil price
With regard to the surge in oil price, the two leaders agreed to cooperate to bring to the agenda of the next G8 Summit measures such as improvement of transparency in the market to restrict moves based on speculations which cause a surge in the oil price.
2. Evaluation
(1) The visit by Chancellor Schroeder was realized in the context of friendly personal relations cultivated between the two leaders through their history of visits, including Chancellor Schroeder's visit to Japan in July 2002 on a Japanese government aircraft and Prime Minister Koizumi's visit to Germany for the Bayreuth Festival in August 2003. As Prime Minister Koizumi stated in the joint press conference, it was a productive meeting toward the construction of a 'relationship that will be highly evaluated by the international community.'
(2) In particular, the meeting has added great momentum in advancing the UN reforms in that the two leaders agreed to continue close coordination toward UN reforms, and that the leaders of two G4 nations were able to announce a joint press statement at such a critical time immediately after the submission on December 3 of the report of the High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change.
(3) Japan and Germany have been engaged in mutually complementary cooperation in Iraq and Afghanistan. Specific results drawn from the meeting were that (a) the two leaders agreed to invite police officers in the Governorate of Al-Muthanna, where Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF) are dispatched, to take part in the training conducted for Iraqi officers by Germany in the UAE and (b) the two leaders agreed to closely coordinate in the region in Afghanistan where the German PRT is in activity. These results will work to further advance the cooperation between the two countries thus far, which was one of the tangible outcomes of the meeting.
(4) During his visit to Japan, Chancellor Schroeder exchanged opinions with Japanese business people and attended a discussion with university students. As such, his visit has served as an opportunity to further deepen people to people exchanges between Japan and Germany, at a time when numerous events are scheduled within the framework of the Year of 'Germany in Japan 2005/2006' next year.
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